


30,000 feet

by aihele



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, hahahah i sound so pretentious using the word "piece", just a quick lil piece i actually spent ages on cause of procrastination and writing is hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 09:52:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14746584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aihele/pseuds/aihele
Summary: flights often bring thoughts of cramped legs, turbulence and a myriad of positive and negative aspects. One upside could be meeting the right stranger





	30,000 feet

Took long enough to get here. Literally and figuratively. Traffic in Karachi was a bitch, as usual. Obscenities had been traded amongst strangers in various local tongues, people practically warring in the middle of a street.

She would miss this. Besides whatever heartbreaks this city held for her, it also kept with it precious memories. And at that moment, some strange cocktail wave of nostalgia for the past that ended yesterday flooded into her bloodstream.

Many things would be better forgotten, and soon would be. However all at once she could feel everything. Humidity clinging to her and the white shalwar she wore to school.

Cool night breezes from her roof, overlooking her small piece of DHA. Familiar landmarks, seaview in it’s polluted glory, serpentine streets winding throughout, all the gory and wonderful components that made up her home.

The home she would be hovering thousands of feet above in a few hours, sailing through vaporous clouds which’s long forgotten names she learned in geography.

What had occupied itself as a clear series of steps to take in the future was now actually happening. Her present.

 

Here, standing in front of where only ticket holders could go forth, Ryva turned to face the people she loved. Standing stoically was her uncle, though she knew better than to believe the outside appearance of nonchalance.

He would miss her, along with her little brother who was rambling about what video game figurines she could get him. Laying a kiss on his head she turned to face her parents, both given a kiss and smile.

Tears began to appear at the bottom of her vision, though not enough to spill over. She was prepared for this. All her goodbyes had been taken care of yesterday, so today was just a few frugal hugs and promises to call once she landed at her intended destination.

Suitcase in hand, the one which loyally accompanied to so many places before, she walked onwards casually.

 

 *

 

Crackling through the air, the flight attendant’s voice mechanically alerted to all passengers of flight 783 that  boarding would occur. Already in line among the few other passengers, she would be the second on board.

The airline was an obscure one, but it was the only one with available seats. Punctuality and efficiency were qualities she prided herself on, so last minute booking was rare.

However, when college administrators request you come early to participate in a model student event you don’t turn them down. Plus, she can explore the campus without the rush of newcomers such as herself.

Maso said Canada’s cold weather was easier to adjust to if you came in late summer, so all in all there were more pros than cons. Instead of a jetway they mount the plane by metal steps.

Greeted by two hostesses she enters into the stuffy interior of the craft, with only two columns, a pair of seats in each row. Thankfully her row is yet to be occupied.

Swooping into the window seat, she’s putting in her earphones when her seatmate arrives. What should have been a routine occurrence was disrupted suddenly. In a second, another man appears beside the elderly lady about to take her place next to Ryva.

Laying a gentle hand on the gray haired woman’s shoulder, he speaks in a deep voice “Hello Ma’am,”  Now with both Ryva and the other woman gazing at him expectantly, he continues with a dangerous cocktail of charisma and beauty wavering off him.

“My seat is in the first row and would have more leg space. I was just wondering if you would prefer to sit there?” Obviously baffled by this sudden and random show of kindness, the woman rather disorientedly accepted his offer.

Once she moved forward to what would have been his seat, the mysterious stranger takes his place beside Ryva. Shooting her a quick smile, he busies himself with settling in.

Taking this time in which his attention was elsewhere, she observes him behind curious eyes. Maybe a city native, he has delicately carved features upon a caramel canvas.

Strong brow, he has a pair of sharp cut eyes, angular the way those of a hawk might be. His nose curves slightly, much like an old aristocrat during the turn of a century long passed.

Cheekbones carve slightly into his proud face, following swirls in his minimal beard that which encase a pair of plump lips. Lips that are now grinning. Because he caught her staring.

 

Instead of looking away she brings her eyes up to his. Alight with challenge, they seem to entice the boy more as he follows suit, taking her in the way she did him a few moments ago.

Few more moments pass in their game before he breaks. “I didn’t just offer my seat to that lady out of the goodness of my heart,” in response to her raised eyebrow he elaborates. “Don’t misunderstand, I am chivalrous beyond measure. A great person if I do say so myself,” The self deprecating manner in which he speaks, peppered with comedic grandeur reveals itself to be banter.

“But I had ulterior motives not entirely focused on my concern for her legs,” Pausing to see if Ryva was interested, she decided to indulge him. With enjoyment woven in her tone, she asked

“And what exactly would these ulterior motives be,” Cocking a grin, she saw a little relief hidden in his expression as he continued “It’s not every day you meet a beautiful woman on a plane,”.

Deciding to play further into this, Ryva answers “Well technically we didn’t meet, you introduced yourself to me,” retorting back quickly he said “One in the same thing is it not,”

 

Accepting his challenge, she continues “Well in the way you framed your statement, you implied subtly that our introduction was by chance. When in fact we meet by a situation of you concoction,”

Leaning back into the back of his seat, gazing with her in interest. “Gorgeous AND smart now are we,”. Shrugging her shoulders with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she says “What can I say, the world knows no fairness,”. This would be an interesting flight.

 

 *

 

“Once I got out of the car, the police had already asked if we were a couple. I’ve never seen a human react so quickly then she did to say we weren’t together than her. Honestly I was kind of offended, I mean who wouldn’t want this!” Motioning to himself, the stranger’s who was Hafi by name looked so genuinely offend she couldn’t help but laugh.

“You think so highly of yourself,” she said back. He scoffed, looking over at her with a playful side eyed glare, “You could be more empathetic you know. Just because you’ve never been turned down doesn’t mean you can’t put yourself in the position of those of us who have been,”.

Crossing her arms, speaking in a purposely haughty voice she questioned “And how do you know that I’ve never been rejected?” to be fair, she’s never been rejected though for the sake of conversation he didn’t need to know.

“Only fools,” he murmured, eyes gliding over Ryva like ice cream melting. Coughing to remind himself his sentence needed to be finished, he came back and said in a velvety tone “would lose the chance of you being theirs,”.

Breath was hard to come by now and it had nothing to do with their high altitude(cause the plane has adequate oxygen supplies, duh dumb***). “If I didn’t know better I’d think you were flirting with me,” something slightly intimate creeped into the atmosphere. Why was she like this. Now she wasn’t completely lost, her control was better than that. However, he had gotten a small edge on her others wouldn’t have been able to.

“You don’t know better if you think I’m not flirting with you,”. They now gazed a small bit more at each other until the static of the plane broke through the moment. “We will now land. Please ensure that your seatbelt in on and your serving tray is contained. Have a safe trip from here on out ladies and gentlemen,”.

 

*

 

Walking through the airport, they stopped at two different exits to two terminal sections. “What’s your next flight?” he asked, attempting to mask his inquiry in nonchalance. “Flight 231,” she responded back, “You?”. A disappointed sigh escaped his lips “Flight 574,” nodding to his left, he continued “Well this is goodbye I guess,” Giving him a smile, she waved “ _bye,”._ They both began to move their separate ways, both the smallest fraction hesitant. “ _bye”_ he relayed back and off they went.

 

*

 

Dropping into the taxi, she had just told the driver the address when the door suddenly opened. “Oh sorry I thought this was emp…” a familiar voice paused and she looked up to see Hafi, the stranger from her flight. “Hey you,” he said, sunshine in his voice. “Hafi? Wait I thought you were going to…” as she paused, unable to finish her sentence she realized they had never told the other where they were going. “Well you running into me and stealing seats seems to be a habit,” she said back, hoping that seeing him would become a regular occurrence.

“Fate has its ways dear,” was all he said as he entered the taxi.   

  
  
  
  



End file.
